Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park

Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park is a state park featuring white chalk cliffs and spires rising over 100 feet high across the Kansas prairie landscape. The formations display layered rock faces that slope and jut out, creating varied viewpoints depending on where you stand.

The Niobrara Chalk layer formed approximately 85 million years ago from sediments in an ancient seaway that covered North America. Over millions of years after the water retreated, wind and weather carved the rock into the cliffs and spires visible today.

Local residents named the area Little Jerusalem because the white chalk cliffs remind them of ancient stone walls rising from flat land. This connection shapes how visitors see and experience the formations today.

The park provides two walking trails of different lengths that suit various fitness levels and time constraints. Bring plenty of water and wear sun protection because the exposed rock offers little shade and weather conditions can change quickly.

The park protects the largest population of Great Plains wild buckwheat, a plant species found nowhere else but in these chalk prairie regions. This rare plant thrives in the special conditions created by the alkaline soil and exposed rocky setting.